tired legs

Run 402: Untied lace and the return of Africa hot

Run 402
Average pace: 5:28/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 27:31
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 28-30ºC
Wind: nil to light
BPM: 157
Stride: 179 strides/min
Weight: 154.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 3272
Device used: TomTom Runner Cardio

Today’s run featured:

  • the first time my New Balance MT 110 shoelaces came untied (in over 460 km of use)
  • a mad cyclist furiously biking up from behind me
  • temperatures that started at 28ºC mid-morning and climbed to 30ºC–still in the morning
  • a decided lack of breeze

On the plus side, at least I didn’t get hit by a blimp.

The first km was surprisingly swift at 4:39/km but after that the halo effect of that first 1000 meters wore off and the reality of Africa hot set in and my pace slowed steadily. It became obvious pretty quickly that a full 10K would be ugly, not to mention sweaty and uncomfortable. I toyed with the idea of at least stretching to 7K but as I neared 5K along the completely exposed trail alongside the athletic fields I opted to stop short and walk the rest of the way. I think I made the right call.

As it was, my pace overall was a sluggish 5:28/km, slower than some recent 10K efforts. The forecast for the rest of the week looks to mirror what we had prior to the weekend, with temperatures in the mid 20s rather than high 20s and low 30s. My pace should hopefully bounce back like some springy sort of thing.

Other than being stupid hot for the millionth time this summer, I didn’t have any issues of note, apart from my left shoe coming untied for the first time ever. What’s odd is I even made sure they were tied securely before heading out. I’m just going to blame the heat on this, too.

On the other hand, when I later went to the store wearing my walkin’ shoes, they both came untied simultaneously. Maybe it’s secretly National Untied Shoelace Day.

On the subject of shoes, with the heels of the MT 110s starting to get nice and smooth (this is not a good thing for the heels of running shoes) I am hoping to get a new pair in the next week or so, likely something light but non-minimalist for a change of pace.

Run 398: Like swimming (again)

Run 398
Average pace: 5:33/km
Location: Brunette River tail, Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 7.03 km
Time: 39:07
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 30-31ºC
Wind: nil to light
BPM: 155
Stride: 177 strides/min
Weight: 154.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 3238
Device used: TomTom Runner Cardio

Another crazy set of back-to-back runs. Obviously the heat has made me mad.

Conditions were much the same as yesterday but since I started earlier I managed to hit the peak heat of the day, hooray. The combination of less recovery time and even hotter temperatures meant I was slower–5:33/km vs. 5:26/km and I felt a bit off stomach-wise. I almost thought of calling it at 5K but pressed on and finished the intended 7K.

A few interesting things: the first km broke the five minute mark, coming in at 4:58/km. This apparently left me utterly drained, as the second km dropped to 5:32/km. My steps also went from 197 to 177/min. You would think fewer steps would imply greater speed but I apparently defied that logic. I had shed nearly two pounds overnight so maybe I just felt lighter, even though I moved slower. I did get a bit of a spring in my stride for the last km, however, so the finish was strong, if sweaty.

Right now the forecast for the weekend is calling for highs of 22 and 24ºC, which would feel almost bone-chilling after the last few weeks. I’m kind of eager to run without it being Africa hot. I would not normally be saying this in early July but these are strange days, weather-wise and the days have ominously stretched into weeks.

Four runs in six days (34 km total) is probably the most running I’ve done in a week and I did it while it was stupidly hot, so in a perverse sort of way I am a bit proud of that.

Run 391: The it-feels-like summer first day of summer run

Run 391
Average pace: 5:37/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 7.10 km
Time: 39:54
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26ºC
Wind: moderate to breezy
Calories burned: 526
Weight: 158.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 3186
Device used: iPhone 6

Today is the first day of summer and it felt like it. The temperature was 26ºC, right at the tipping point between warm and maybe-a-little-too-warm for my comfort level when running. A good breeze, normally refreshing, meant I suffered from Dry Mouth™ for much of the run.

The run also ended at 7K instead of 10K, even though I was not ailing in any particular way. My left foot behaved itself, I wasn’t cramping up or otherwise hurting. What I was, was slow. Again. The pace was a fairly awful 5:37/km. This past week has been strange and very disappointing, run-wise.

My walk to the lake went fine, showing no signs of the fatigue I’d been hit with earlier in the week. Given the higher temperature, I was still concerned. I started out and had again wrestled with getting the iPhone in the SPI-belt. I’m beginning to not like this combination. If I could have the run start after putting the phone in, I’d be good, but there doesn’t seem to be any way to do that, alas. Maybe this is a conspiracy to get me to spend $450 on an Apple Watch.

When I hit the first km mark, I knew my pace was way off. This continued and although I could have pushed on to a full 10K I had visions of not hitting it until I was actually looping back over the start of the run. The thought was so depressing, I stopped at 7K, as it would at least provide a point of comparison to my previous 7K.

That comparison is also depressing, as it turns out.

Looking at the stats for today’s run, I note a few things:

  • The first km pace was 5:26/km. This is strangely slow–it’s slower than the pace of the entire 7K I ran on June 11, just ten days ago. The phone/belt struggle appears to be partly to blame here. I also see a huge drop in pace right at the 1K mark, suggesting I was mentally defeated by the pace already.
  • My fastest km was the third at 5:22/km, with the fourth km also faster than the first at 5:24/km. It is very unusual for later km to be faster than the first. It’s only happened a few times in hundreds of runs.
  • Save for the third km, every km my pace flagged more and more.

There was also an event sponsored by the Running Room. Fortunately the event had wound down by the time I was running, so I didn’t have to face hordes of runners unused to the trail (I also wisely chose to run in the same direction the signs pointed out), but I suppose I ought to check for these things beforehand when I run on weekends. There were a bunch of people moving from the central gathering area at the rowing pavilion parking lot, but luckily they didn’t clog things up much.

Oh, and a few cyclists walking their bikes. You’re not fooling anyone, cyclists!

Overall, then, a very disappointing outing and the third run in a row (of only six this month) that has gone poorly. I’d say it can only get better from here, but even that almost feels like a bold claim at this point.

We shall see.

Run 390: The still slow mid-week run

Run 390
Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.06 km
Time: 27:36
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22-24ºC
Wind: moderate to breezy
Calories burned: 374
Weight: 157.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 3179
Device used: iPhone 6

Tuesday’s run was delayed a day because I was feeling strangely tired and in fact I didn’t go into work today (Wednesday). After sleeping in and supposedly shaking off whatever is afflicting me I decided to try a run at the lake early in the afternoon.

The walk there was noticeably slower than usual, an ominous sign–though I didn’t feel awful or anything. I headed out and didn’t feel bad but didn’t feel great, either. I made an effort to not push so I wasn’t expecting to set any land speed records.

I had two big drops, 11% after 2 km and an unexpected 4% drop for the last km. These combined to give me a mediocre pace of 5:27/km, six seconds slower than my previous 7K run and 13 seconds slower than my last 5K. Blargh.

The good news was no complications. The right tendon felt a bit stiff at the start but warmed up quickly. The left foot behaved right up until the very end of the walk home.

The walk home was probably the highlight. It was only fractions of a second off my fastest pace for a walk that length (about 9 km). I was ranting in my head about things I am unhappy about and this apparently translates directly into walking speed. I may have to apply it to my next run.

The other highlight was how quiet the trail was. I miss mid-afternoon weekday runs. I’m not anti-social but a trail sans people is nice for a solo runner. Maybe I’m a little anti-social.

The FIRE DANGER: LEFT FOOT run

Run 389
Average pace: 5:50/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 10.02 km
Time: 58:30
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 24-25ºC
Wind: moderate to breezy
Calories burned: 744
Weight: 158.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 3174
Device used: iPhone 6

Good news: My right Achilles tendon felt significantly better on today’s run and was a complete non-factor. Once warmed up I really didn’t notice it at all.

Bad news: Everything else.

This was a fairly terrible run. It started with me making the crazy decision to try my Merrell Apollo “to the moon!” shoes again. With the New Balance MT110s starting to wear I am thinking more about replacements and the Merrells have been worn only a few times so they are still virtually brand new. I put them on, the fit was snug but comfy. I notice the even more minimalist sole compared to the MT110s but everything seems okay as I pad around in the condo with them, so I head out. Within three blocks my left foot starts to hurt. I don’t blame the shoe (Merrell PR people seeing this via Google Alerts, relax! The Merrell shoes are very nice.) but it’s clear the knobbier trail-ready soles of the MT110s may be a better choice.

I head back, put on the MT110s and head out again. I have walked 1.6 km so far and essentially gotten nowhere. But now my left foot feels better with the additional support. I am not overly hopeful but you never know.

It is warm and only the breeze keeps it from being just this side of uncomfortable. I start out and for the first 2 km my pace is decent if not great. Then the bottom falls out. Then my left foot starts to hurt again less than 4 km in. It starts to hurt even more. I feel tired. I think about stopping.

I press on, plodding, aching, gritting my teeth. At one point my left hip starts to hurt just a tiny bit, its way of saying, “Hello, remember me? I remember you!” It stops hurting but a short time later I feel vaguely nauseated. By now the pain in my foot has peaked so I keep going. I actually pick up the pace for the final km but finish with a very slow 5:50/km pace.

Bleah.

On a possibly more positive note, I may have figured out the root cause of my left foot issues. My shiny new theory involves the desk I sit at when I am working/playing on/staring at my computer. Previously I used a foot rest to insure good posture but the current alcove with my computer setup is on a hardwood floor, making it impossible to use the foot rest, as either it or the chair will go sliding all over the place. A mat is the obvious solution but I’ve been lazy. neglectful and generally terrible in getting a mat. What I’ve come to realize is that I often slouch and then brace myself against the wall with–you guessed it–my left foot!–to keep from sliding out of the chair and into an awkward lump under the computer desk. I often keep my foot squashed against the wall until it hurts, then move it away and move it back again when I’ve forgotten that squashing it up against the wall hurts (I apparently forget this a lot).

I am going to get a mat, sit up straight and see if the foot improves. If not it’s off to the doctor and amputation! Or maybe some kind of magic cream or something. The magic cream would be preferable.

The Sunday run all over again

Run 385
Average pace: 5:40/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 56:50
Weather: Cloudy and humid
Temp: 23ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 743
Weight: 159.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 3147
Device used: iPhone 6

This run was very similar to the previous Sunday’s run, down to a mere second difference in average pace. I had no major issues and the cloudy sky meant the trails were lightly populated (yay).

For a change I ran the section of freeway trail I had to use in 2012 when the first boardwalk was being replaced. Without the sun beating down it wasn’t too bad and it was probably nicer than the rest of the south shore, which felt weirdly muggy once again.

In fact, I am hard-pressed to add much more. It was a solid if unspectacular result and I am neither backsliding nor vaulting forward.

The early nearly Africa hot run

Run 381
Average pace: 5:17/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 26:38
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26-24ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 376
Weight: 161.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 3115
Device used: iPhone 6

Work was again exhausting. When I got home I began stuffing apple strudel and tortilla chips into my face. I was not motivated to run, I was motivated to gorge, then hibernate.

Further killing my desire was the unusually warm weather–the Weather Underground app on my phone was reporting 28ºC when I headed out for the run. That is zany hot for May. It’s zany hot for June, July and August, too.

Yes, I did go out. The secret to the running routine when you’re feeling unmotivated is to just change and go outside. If you don’t think about it, the routine can carry you along to where you’d feel bad about not continuing.

I pushed a wee bit more during the first two km and yielded positive results. Instead of a significant drop after the second km, it was a mere 1%. My overall pace of 5:17/km was six seconds better than Tuesday, not bad considering the increased temperature and humidity. A cramp threatened to materialize in my lower right abdomen but never quite gelled (if cramps can indeed gel) so my pace never truly sagged.

Overall an unexpectedly decent outing.

The kind of sweaty run

Run 380
Average pace: 5:23/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 27:05
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 376
Weight: 162.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 3110
Device used: iPhone 6

Although the temperature was again around 23ºC it felt much warmer, the warmest run for the year to date. As a result I sweated even more than on Sunday. I do not normally think of sweating a lot on mid-May runs.

I was feeling very tired going in, mentally exhausted from work, and also coming off my first 10K on Sunday and a 16+ km walk yesterday. I expected a plodding pace. In the latter half I found enough energy reserves to push during the fourth km (my fastest stretch, actually) and again for the last 500 m after pooping out just prior to that. The result was a mediocre pace of 5:23/km, two seconds slower than my previous 5K. I call it a wash. A sweaty, stinky wash.

The right Achilles tendon felt a little sore but it was fine by the end and I had no other real discomfort, just sluggishness and such. One day 5Ks will seem easy again.

The methodically paced first 10K of the year run

Run 379
Average pace: 5:51/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 10.0 km
Time: 58:42
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 753
Weight: 162.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3104
Device used: iPhone 6

Today my plan was to run 5K and then run farther if I had the energy for it. To facilitate this I again chose to run at a deliberate pace, rather than try pushing for the need for speed.

I was indeed slower, but, as planned, I felt no great discomfort or anything while running, save for an occasional hint of a cramp in my left shoulder, which continues to be strange. The weather was pleasant and the sun was warm. I even sweated a little.

My pace was a tepid 5:51/km, but I completed a full 10 km and never felt like I was struggling. It felt decent. The trail was clogged with people, due to an event apparently taking place. I saw two people with flags but couldn’t make them out. What I could make out were the vast crowds stretched out all along the trail, forcing some clever weaving and dodging at times. You can tell the regulars from the non-regulars because the latter tend to never realize there are other people on the trail.

Still, I stayed upright the entire time and finished 10K without difficulty. I am emboldened to continue and improve.

The slower but it’s totally intentional run

Run 378
Average pace: 5:21/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.01 km
Time: 26:51
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 375
Weight: 161.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 3099
Device used: iPhone 6

Tonight, feeling tired and not really into it, plus with my lower legs still a little sore from the beginnings of a new regular run routine, I decided to do something different. Instead of trying for a burst at the beginning and end, I would instead just find a comfortable pace as quickly as I could and then try to maintain it for the rest of the run. I knew this would almost certainly mean the run would be slower but I was curious. And tired.

I ended up being a little slower than on Tuesday (5:21/km vs. 5:19/km) but felt much better during the run. My breathing was more relaxed, I never felt like I was exerting or gasping for breath. The drop after the first km was a little smaller but I still had a fairly massive drop in the last km, perhaps a reflection that I’m still a fair ways off from peak form. I even pushed a wee bit at the end but it just seemed my tiredness caught up with me. It was also warmer and a bit more humid, which may have been minor factors as well.

Still, I liked the results overall. A slightly slower pace in exchange for a much more comfortable experience is a win for me. In fact, I’m giving myself a tiny imaginary gold trophy right now. Yay for me!

I may try a full 10K on Sunday using the same method. My official time will probably be six hours. But I’ll be comfy!

Also, the Nike app/site is strangely rounding down so instead of showing me at 3100 km, it insists I’ve only run 3099. This is why I hate math.

A less buggy run

Run 377
Average pace: 5:19/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.01 km
Time: 26:38
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 21ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 375
Weight: 161.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 3094
Device used: iPhone 6

I consider this run a major success because I didn’t swallow a bug.

Compared to last Tuesday I was slower but still dramatically faster than Sunday so I consider it a win.

There were no major issues but I did have fairly big drops after the first and fourth km, which brought down my average.

Still, an improvement is better than a kick in the athletic cup.

The sequel is always worse run (bonus: two runs/one day)

Run 375
Average pace: 5:32/km
Location: Brunette River trail and Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 27:52
Weather: Overcast, some sun
Temp: 23ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 377
Weight: 162.8 pounds <0.2
Total distance to date: 3085
Device used: iPhone 6

Run 376
Average pace: 5:46/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:58
Weather: Overcast, some sun
Temp: 23ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 377
Weight: 162.8 pounds <0.2
Total distance to date: 3090
Device used: iPhone 6

Having two very solid runs during the week, I still found myself approaching the weekend run with some trepidation, because the mid-week runs were so much better than my previous efforts. It seemed odd. Good, but odd.

My plan was to take the best of the mid-week runs by starting on the river trail, then to continue on to the lake, possibly stretching out to 7K instead of 5K. Looking at the first 2 km of the run, I could see my pace was already well off, though the drop from the first km to the second was about the same. On Thursday I finished the first km at 4:46/km and today lagged behind at 5:00/km, ending with a lousy overall pace of 5:32/km, a big drop from the mid-week efforts.

I walked for the next 15 minutes mulling why this happened but have no good answers. Difference in the time of day? Temperature? Humidity? Alignment of moon/planets?

I then decided to do another 5K because why not? I was halfway around the lake so I’d have to walk it, anyway, and running would get me home sooner to lay down and think further about being slower. Starting just past the bridge at Still Creek, I ran a second 5K and my pace was unsurprisingly slower at 5:46/km but I actually didn’t feel too bad (I got a small stitch in my lower right side on the first run). I took solace in the fact that I did 10K, albeit in a bit of a cheaty fashion.

The only downside came around the 3K mark when I saw a large bug ahead of me. When I say large I’m not talking giant African beetle that can cut your fingers off with its pincers, more like something a little smaller than a housefly but way bigger than a gnat. The reason I saw it at all was because of its size. It flew straight into my mouth, like a bullet fired from a gun. Then it got lodged in my throat. At first I thought I had managed to swallow it (trying to stay positive, I kept thinking free protein, free protein) but it became clear I had not. I started to cough and this moved it into a position where it grew exponentially more irritating. I started gagging and choking. I mixed in more coughs for variety. I was less than a km away from hitting 5K, I didn’t want to stop.

Finally it seemed to go down. I ran into another cloud of them and tried punching the bugs, with limited success. I actually improved my pace over the last km, perhaps lifted by the sense that I was no longer choking to death.

Overall, I am disappointed at my slower pace for these runs, but quietly satisfied that I managed two 5Ks. I am most curious to see what Tuesday will be like.